Rating: 
Summary: There was only one catch, and that was Catch-22.
Review: Hillarious, Moving, Disturbing, Flawless. Catch-22 is not the greatest book I have ever written, it is, though, the best. Heller's revolutionary plot structuring drives beyond time and place, to meaning. After the first few chapters the book seems to be going every direction possible, but after a few more it becomes evident that time has very little consequence in the book, but that the signifigance of each segment, which Heller repeats over and over again to the beat of some furious, wildly brilliant drum is the deciding factor in his plotting.
The insane structure all the while parallels the hero's, John Yossarian, or anti-hero's more accurately, frenzied attempts to break away from the madness of society and to attain his supreme goal, to live (even if must die in the attempt.) He assaulted by Capitalism, in the personification of Milo Minderbinder, the man who's business crosses all battle lines, supports every man, woman, and child in Europe, and robs them dry at the same time; to Col. Cathcart, the ultimate bad boss, who sacrifices the men in Yossarian's squadron in the vain hope of being featured in LIFE magazine; to Nately's whore, who is Yossarian's also conscience, and who is constantly trying to kill him; to The Soldier In White, the ultimate victim, neither quite living nor quite dead; to Snowden, who's terrifying secret haunts Yossarian for a few hours chronologically, but for the entire course of the book due to Hellers brilliant structure; and Major Major Major Major, the man assigned to mediocrity. All the while Catch-22, the ultimate insanity, defying all reason and sense, appears anywhere and everywhere, in any form immaginable, haunting Yossarian and preventing him from being free of the insanity of the war and society.
But no matter what you read, no matter what happens to any of Heller's manic characters: Yossarian lives.
Chris Bench
There was only one catch... and that was Catch-22. -Joseph Heller
Who is John Galt? -Ayn Rand
Rating:
Summary: There is no other book like Catch-22
Review: I could never read a book in the same way after reading Catch-22. It showed me what an author with a true love of words could do. I have never read anything as funny, or as sad. I've read it three times since the first time I picked it up, two years ago. I think it's one of the best books ever written. I recommend it for anyone
Rating:
Summary: Cynicism at its finest
Review: Catch 22 takes to the extreme many of the American archetypes of World War II. Yossarian, the unwilling patriot; Milo Minderbender, the ultimate in the capitalistic ideal; Snowden, the mostly forgotten victim; and Colonel Cathcart the ambitious officer. Cynical behaiviour abounds as the pilots try to reach the ever increasing number of missions needed to be flown in order to go home. Peppered with vivid and intense scenes, Catch 22 is one of the funniest and amazing books that exist. It is an emotional and cynical tale that reveals Heller's genius as he turns the reality of World War II into important commentary. One of the best ways to examine why we as a society do some of the things that we do is through humor and Catch 22 does exactly that. I cannot recommend this book highly enough
Rating:
Summary: brilliant, sensual,vivid, dramatic,disturbing..and hilarious
Review: Is it possible for a book to merit all the above adjectives above? Yes, if it is Catch-22; in the setting of World War II, Heller depicts the sheer waste and tragedy for humans, when 'nations' are at war. Catch-22 seeks to show the waste exemplified by the War , without ever depicting a direct attack by the enemy, the Germans. The protagonist of the book, Yossarian, sees through the sham that war is, and questions his superiors relentlessly
about their ideas of patriotism, when it is he who is going to die 'for the country'. the novel moves back and forth in time, through events and from the farcical to the tragic at a machine-gun pace. Yet within this seeming disarray, a tale builds up- in the end you wonder who the real enemy is - the Germans or
Yossarian's superiors
Rating:
Summary: Catch-22 is a masterpiece of social satire
Review: Heller's timeless classic, Catch-22, is amazing. Heller crafts an upside-down, senselessly sensible world where everyone but the main character, Yossarian, is sane. Or is
Yossarian the only sane one? Decide for yourself when you
read the book. The novel is endlessly funny, pointedly revealing and gleefully rambunctious, filled with inherent
contradiction that somehow makes perfect sense. It's been one of my personal favorites for years and will remain so for many to come. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: confusing, yet light hearted
Review: i loved it. i am only 16 and read it for a book report in english. the major major chapter was the best. read it!
Rating:
Summary: A brilliant master piece.
Review: Catch 22 is perhaps one of the best post WW2 books ever written. The style is unique in that Joseph Heller writes in a circular maner rather than the traditional linear style common with Western authors. It can best be compared with the oral traditions of the Native American story tellers. The characters are unforgettable and the plot fresh. Trully a brilliant master piece
Rating:
Summary: Catch 22-A humorous look into the face of death
Review: What is the message or moral?
Joseph Heller is trying portray the message that life is worth living. The American system is corrupt. There is not a point to fighting for a country that does not fight for him. It is closely related to Greek myth of Sisyphus. As Sisyphus pushes a boulder up a hill in Hades, it rolls back to earth. He continues to do this into eternity since there is no end to his task.
Did he say it well?
Heller's message was shown very well. Characterization was excellent. The reader is able to sympathize with Yossarian, the main character. As the number of missions to be flown rises, so does Yossarians desire to escape and go home. The reader is supposed to be able to identify Yossarian and his life with their own. Yossarian tries convincing the doctor that he is insane so he doesn't have to fly. It doesn't work because of Catch 22. He'd be insane to want to fly, and sane to know that he was doing something insane. Heller's values also came through in the symbolism used in the book. The dying fighter, Snowden, represents Yossarians own death. Snow (Snowden) is also white, representing the absence of color and life. When Yossarian walks around the air base in the nude, it represents his rebirth.
Was it worth saying?
The message was worth saying. Joseph Heller showed America how pointless it can be to fight for a cause. Yet Yossarian faught for his own cause: to live. He wanted to live and enjoy the rest of his life instead of being one of the many killed or lost in action
Rating:
Summary: Far, far more than an anti-war piece
Review: Catch 22 is a story set during World War II. A significant choice for what is, ostensibly, an anti-war satire, since that particular war was a universally popular one butressed by high moral motivations. But that is the point, for Catch 22 is not simply a lampoon of war, but a searing indictment of man's spiritual crisis in the modern world.On all fronts, the main character, Yossarian, is assailed by the dehumanized absurdities of mondern life, manifested most concretely in that perfected science of death, modern warfare. Yossarian, like all of us, is chained by rationality that has been stripped of reason, engineered thus for the purpose of control. That is the essence of Catch 22. The character of Milo Minderbinder represents the cold, opportunistic thinking of the corporate world, dead as it is to humanistic concerns in its tireless pursuit of profit and power. Chaplain Tappman embodies the impotence and self-doubt common to many people of faith who feel adrift in a culture of materialisticly driven insanity. But it is Yossarian's wanderings through Rome, the Eternal City, and as such, the representation of modern "civilized" society, that is the coup de grace. It is a moonlit, poetic scene lamenting the spiritual and humanistic decay and ultimate bankruptcy of modern Western society. Simply powerful stuff. Properly speaking, Catch 22 is more a series of vignettes or short stories rather than a novel. But it is told with a humor that bristles with moral outrage. While not perfect, it is an excellent read, and definitely recommened.
Rating:
Summary: Classic War Novel
Review: Catch-22 is one of the best war-time novels that exists. Not only does it contain the type of comedy that can only come out of ridiculous army regulations and stereotypes but it contains a message thats important for all of us to address. It brings up the point that war has no point. We kill eachother for no reason and this book is about a man stuck in the middle. Yossarian is the kind of man we can look up to, he understands whats going on in the world and how he cannot do anything but run for his life. Although the movie was better, because of the explosions, this book was very entertaining and the characters and plot of the book are well rounded.
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